HadthegoverningclassesinFranceduringthelastcenturypaidasmuchheedtotheirproperbusinessastotheirpleasuresormanners，theguillotineneedneverhaveseveredthatspinalmarrowoforderlyandseculartraditionthroughwhichinanormallyconstitutedstatethebrainsympathizeswiththeextremitiesandsendswillandimpulsionthither。Itisonlywhenthereasonableandpracticablearedeniedthatmendemandtheunreasonableandimpracticable；
onlywhenthepossibleismadedifficultthattheyfancytheimpossibletobeeasy。Fairytalesaremadeoutofthedreamsofthepoor。No；thesentimentwhichliesattherootofdemocracyisnothingnew。Iamspeakingalwaysofasentiment，aspirit，andnotofaformofgovernment；forthiswasbuttheoutgrowthoftheotherandnotitscause。Thissentimentismerelyanexpressionofthenaturalwishofpeopletohaveahand，ifneedbeacontrollinghand，inthemanagementoftheirwonaffairs。Whatisnewisthattheyaremoreandmoregainingthatcontrol，andlearningmoreandmorehowtobeworthyofit。Whatweusedtocallthetendencyordrift-whatwearebeingtaughttocallmorewiselytheevolutionofthings-hasforsometimebeensettingsteadilyinthisdirection。Thereisnogoodinarguingwiththeinevitable。Theonlyargumentavailablewithaneastwindistoputonyourovercoat。Andinthiscase，also，theprudentwillpreparethemselvestoencounterwhattheycannotprevent。Somepeopleadviseustoputonthebrakes，asifthemovementofwhichweareconsciouswerethatofarailwaytrainrunningdownanincline。Butametaphorisnoargument，thoughitbesometimesthegunpowdertodriveonehomeandimbeditinthememory。
Ourdisquietcomesofwhatnursesandotherexperiencedpersonscallgrowingpains，andneednotseriouslyalarmus。Theyarewhateverygenerationbeforeus-certainlyeverygenerationsincetheinventionofprinting-hasgonethroughwithmoreorlessgoodfortune。Tothedoorofeverygenerationtherecomesaknocking，andunlessthehousehold，liketheThaneofCawdorandhiswife，havebeendoingsomedeedwithoutaname，theyneednotshudder。Itturnsoutatworsttobeapoorrelationwhowishestocomeinoutofthecold。Theporteralwaysgrumblesandisslowtoopen。
\"Who\'sthere，inthenameofBeelzebub？\"hemutters。Notachangeforthebetterinourhumanhousekeepinghasevertakenplacethatwiseandgoodmenhavenotopposedit，-havenotprophesiedwiththealdermanthattheworldwouldwakeuptofinditsthroatcutinconsequenceofit。Theworld，onthecontrary，wakesup，rubsitseyes，yawns，stretchesitself，andgoesaboutitsbusinessasifnothinghadhappened。Suppressionoftheslavetrade，abolitionofslavery，tradeunions，atalloftheseexcellentpeopleshooktheirheadsdespondingly，andmurmured\"Ichabod。\"Butthetradeunionsarenowdebatinginsteadofconspiring，andweallreadtheirdiscussionswithcomfortandhope，surethattheyarelearningthebusinessofcitizenshipandthedifficultiesofpracticallegislation。
OneofthemostcuriousofthesefrenziesofexclusionwasthatagainsttheemancipationoftheJews。Allshareinthegovernmentoftheworldwasdeniedforcenturiestoperhapstheablest，certainlythemosttenacious，racethathadeverlivedinit-theracetowhomweowedourreligionandthepurestspiritualstimulusandconsolationtobefoundinallliterature-araceinwhichabilityseemsasnaturalandhereditaryasthecurveoftheirnoses，andwhoseblood，furtivelyminglingwiththebluestbloodsinEurope，hasquickenedthemwithitsownindomitableimpulsion。Wedrovethemintoacorner，buttheyhadtheirrevenge，asthewrongedarealwayssuretohaveitsoonerorlater。Theymadetheircornerthecounterandbanking-houseoftheworld，andthencetheyruleitanduswiththeignoblersceptreoffinance。